Tulsa turnaround? United faces red-hot conference leader

Saturday, 6:30 p.m., TV: KASY (English), Estrella (Spanish); Streaming: KRQE.com, ESPN+ (No radio)

July 2025 was a month to forget for New Mexico United.

Sure, a few positives can be credited to the month. United staged a late rally in Texas to draw with San Antonio FC and won a penalty shootout. The club also acquired talented midfielder Valentin Noel and got key players Greg Hurst and Dayonn Harris back from the injured list.

Other than that, July was hot and unpleasant.

NMU went 0-3 in USL Championship matches in July, scoring only one goal and getting clobbered 4-0 at Hartford on national television to conclude the month. United started July on top of the USLC Western Conference standings and ended it in fifth place.

And just in case July wasn't brutal enough, fan favorite Daniel Bruce went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Fortunately there is good news available for New Mexico, which visits conference-leading FC Tulsa on Saturday night. Most notably, the calendar finally flipped to August.

Despite being mired in its first three-game losing streak since 2023, United finds itself just two points out of second place with 14 matches still to play. After Saturday's road test at OneOK Field, eight of NMU's final 13 games will be at home.

Coming off a nine-day break and its final weekend off of the season, United has had time for a little soul searching and is eager to put July and its ugly loss to Hartford in the rear-view mirror.

"After a game like that, you'd really rather play again sooner," NMU coach Dennis Sanchez said. "But we're also at a point where we basically have three new players out there with (Noel, Hurst and Harris). We're adapting to that and there's a lot going on, but the adversity we're facing right now is essential to our success moving forward. We have a great opportunity Saturday versus a good Tulsa side."

Sanchez reiterated that United's lineup could see some changes Saturday as the club adjusts to new personnel up front and attempts to rebound from a flat performance at Hartford.

"We took it on the chin," defender Jaylin Lindsey said. "We looked at the mistakes we made and we have to learn from it, but we also have to forget that game. I'd rather have that kind of game now than later. Time to get ready for Tulsa."

Facing red-hot Tulsa presents a stiff challenge for United. Coach Luke Spencer's club is riding a franchise-best 11-game unbeaten streak and has opened an eight-point lead atop the Western Conference standings.

FC Tulsa's direct, physical playing style offers a stark contrast to New Mexico's possession-based approach. Tulsa ranks second in the league in shot attempts, third in goals scored (30) and first in fouls conceded. Spencer's team also has 1,003 duels won this season, while NMU has 670.

"Tulsa's in great form, they're very vertical and they like to create chaos," Sanchez said. "This game is as much a mentality test as it is tactical. We've got to look them in the eye and let them know we're there but still play our way."

United has been one of the most possession-oriented teams in the USLC, ranking second in total passes and first in passing accuracy. Still, NMU ranks just 12th in goals scored (22) and near the bottom in shots (178) — numbers Sanchez hopes will improve with Noel, Hurst and Harris now in the mix.

"Those three guys are big additions," Sanchez said, "and they'll bring more creativity to our attack once they're integrated. We're working through the process right now and I think in the next three to four weeks we'll start to see it come to fruition."

Noel, who played two games with United within five days of being acquired from Las Vegas Lights FC, also expects United's results to improve as familiarity grows.

"It was a big turnaround for me coming here," Noel said, "two weeks of chaos in my life. But there's a different mentality here. Being in first place, that's the standard and I'm excited to be part of that. I'm looking forward to playing here."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New Mexico (8-7-1): Coming off a listless 4-0 loss at Hartford, NMU coach Dennis Sanchez said lineup changes could be in the cards. If so, they'll likely impact a defensive line that has struggled since co-captain Kalen Ryden suffered a broken clavicle on June 14. Ryden is nearing a return but Sanchez may choose to juggle his back line against a physical, high-scoring Tulsa side. Shaky passing and defensive breakdowns led to three of the four goals NMU conceded against Hartford. United's front line already is in flux with the recent addition of midfielder Valentin Noel and forwards Greg Hurst and Dayonn Harris returning from injuries. The trio has played together just twice. Still, NMU has scored one goal or none in five of its last six USL Championship matches and needs to find a scoring spark to take pressure off its defense.

Tulsa (10-3-5): FC Tulsa's quick-strike attack is the polar opposite of New Mexico's possession-based approach. United leads the USLC in passing accuracy (86%), while Tulsa prefers to go straight to the goal. The Western Conference leaders rank last in total passes and last in accuracy (69%), but second in shots and third in goals scored with 30. (NMU has 22). Forward Taylor Calheira has been the go-to finisher for Tulsa, ranking among the league leaders with 9 goals and 36 shots. Outside of Calheira, Tulsa has shared the ball remarkably well. Arthur Rogers and Giordano Collis lead a group of 11 players with 11 or more chances created. Tulsa's vertical attack can leave the defense exposed, but goalkeeper Johan Penaranda (33 saves) and defender Abdoulaye Cissoko (101 duels won, 13 interceptions) anchor a solid back line.

GOAL KICKS: Tulsa has sizzled in USLC play this summer and is riding a franchise-best 11-match unbeaten streak (6-0-5). The club hasn't lost a league match since May 3 and its 8-0-1 when scoring first. The momentum did not carry over to Jägermeister Cup competition, where Tulsa went 1-2-1 and did not advance out of group play. ... Rising to the top of the Western Conference standings has not boosted attendance at OneOK Field this season. Tulsa ranks 19th in the USLC at 3,354 fans per home game. United (9,981 per game) is first.